The present disclosure generally relates to accelerator pedal assemblies for vehicles.
As is well known, accelerator pedal assemblies include a pedal which a driver of a vehicle operates with his or her foot. Movement of the pedal adjusts a throttle of the vehicle. For example, when the driver depresses the pedal, the throttle is opened a corresponding amount to increase airflow into the combustion chambers of the vehicle's engine and thereby cause acceleration of the vehicle. Typically, the accelerator pedal assembly includes a pedal rotatably mounted along the driver's side floor (e.g., to the right of a brake pedal in a left-hand drive vehicle). The accelerator pedal is movable between a starting position in which no force is applied and an end position in which the pedal is fully depressed.
Early accelerator pedal assemblies included a mechanical linkage between a pedal and the vehicle's throttle valve. In this arrangement, movement of the pedal was mechanically communicated directly to the throttle valve. More recent systems employ drive-by-wire technology in which the mechanical link between the accelerator pedal and the throttle is no longer required. Instead, an electrical connection or communication is provided between the pedal and the throttle. Movement of a drive-by-wire accelerator pedal is communicated to an electronic control unit (ECU), which sends a command signal to a throttle controller for opening the throttle valve an amount corresponding to the position of the accelerator pedal, though additional vehicle conditions can be used by the ECU in determining the precise amount in which to open the throttle valve.
A known accelerator pedal assembly (FIGS. 1-2) includes a pedal arm having a first end portion pivotally secured to the vehicle and a pedal pivotally mounted to a second end portion of the pedal arm. An operator's foot is applied to the pedal to control pivotal movement of the arm and thereby provide feedback from the driver as to the driver's desired amount of acceleration. In the known pedal assembly, the driver's foot can slide off the accelerator pedal during a collision event (e.g., a front end collision). In particular, the driver's foot can slide forward off the pedal and come into contact with the pedal arm. The foot is not stabilized such that the contact with the pedal arm can cause the foot to roll off of the pedal. This can lead to injuries to the lower leg (e.g., tibia).